- Basmati rice imports of 4,125 t valued at INR 568.59 million
- Unmilled paddy imports of 8,628 t worth INR 365.02 million
Nepal imported 24,939 t of rice and paddy worth INR 1.78 billion during the first month of fiscal year 2082/83 BS. Imports included 11,852 t of rice, 4,125 t of basmati rice and 8,628 t of unmilled paddy, with India accounting for nearly all shipments in these major categories.
Basmati rice imports
Basmati rice was the second-largest category by import value. Nepal imported 4,125 t of basmati rice worth INR 568.59 million during July-August, with the entire quantity sourced from India. The country also imported 8,628 t of unmilled paddy worth INR 365.02 million, again entirely from India.
Broken rice and other imports
Nepal imported 332 t of broken rice worth INR 13.31 million during July-August, with the entire quantity coming from India. The customs data also recorded smaller imports of brown rice and paddy seeds. Nepal imported 625 kg of brown rice worth INR 89,000, including 500 kg from Thailand and 125 kg from India. Meanwhile, 67 kg of paddy seeds worth INR 501,000 were imported during the month. China supplied more paddy seeds than India.
Rice and paddy imports decline y-o-y
Nepal’s rice and paddy imports declined significantly in the first month of fiscal year 2082/83 BS compared with the corresponding period last year. The country imported 24,939 t worth INR 1.78 billion, compared with 57,083 t worth INR 2.93 billion during the corresponding period of fiscal year 2081/82 BS. Both import volume and expenditure were lower y-o-y.
Outlook
Nepal’s rice and paddy imports are expected to remain closely linked to domestic demand and supply requirements. India is likely to remain an important source for Nepal’s rice and paddy needs, given its dominant share in current imports. However, the lower import volume and value recorded in the first month of FY 2082/83 indicate comparatively weaker import activity than a year earlier.
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